Courage creates movement. Without it, we’re likely to remain stuck in the same place, repeating the same thing for far too long. Eventually, we’d become outdated and irrelevant.  

Being courageous positively impacts our results by challenging the status quo. At times, this means addressing tense topics and diligently working to redirect yourself or others where things aren’t as they need to be.   

Courage can also look like someone being the person to take a risk on the uncertainty of something by testing a new idea and proving a concept. Being courageous often means experimentation and owning the results – good or bad.  

Overall, when we’re acting with courage, our efficiency as a business is improved because we remove time-wasting activities and more quickly resolve issues of misalignment. 

Passionate Commitment to Growth 

Our Q2 ‘Courageous’ award winner is Keaton Wanninger. As the BUF™ of Pepper Joe’s, he has committed himself to courageously pursuing new ideas in collaboration with team members. His passion and enthusiasm to see the brand and the team succeed drive results.   

He’s quick to give praise where it’s due and allow others space to take part in the development of a strategy. And in recognizing that we are rarely dealing with 100% certainty in the result, he takes calculated risks while owning their success or failure.   

Keaton, thank-you for your continued display of ownership and courage as you work autonomously to grow Pepper Joe’s. Well done! 

The Interview 

What is your role at Clickstop?  

Pepper Joe’s BUF™ 

How long have you worked at Clickstop?  

2.5 years 

What brought you to Clickstop?   

Culture and new opportunity   

What effect has this recognition had upon you?  

Grateful to work with the team that I have and very humbled to work for a company that recognizes development and passion.  

What do you believe has led up to this recognition?  

Having an enthusiastic and responsible team (Nate, Noah, Tony, CAT, shared services) who’s dedicated and aligned with where WE want to take the brand. 

Who has supported you in achieving these results?  

Tim Guenther and Eric Youngblood are tremendous mentors and have been an open book when it comes to bouncing ideas on ways to expand the brand. Nate and Noah have and continue to be great support, they bring great ideas to the table. We’re a small team that’s focused on growth, new ideas and what’s best for Pepper Joe’s. 

What is a recent challenge / obstacle you’ve overcome through the behaviors within this Core Trait? 

I’ve been focused on expanding our product line to help create brand recognition in the super-hot food community. We just recently sold 1,500 bottles of Blueberry Reaper Hot Sauce to a monthly hot sauce subscription box called “Feugo Box” out of New York and LA and will be featured in their October/November release. (Shout out to Quinton G for developing a delicious Blueberry Hot Sauce!) 

What should people know about working at Clickstop?  

Clickstop is a collection of like-minded individuals who are trusted and allowed to focus on personal development. 

What is one word your wife or best friend would use to describe you and why?  

Passionate. When there’s something I’m into, I go all in.  

Do you have a nickname(s)? If so, what is it? Why is it your nickname?  

Schwann, when I was a freshman in High School a senior called me Schwanninger on accident. The rest is history. 

What is your favorite activity that you like to do with your family?  

Football Saturday’s at Kinnick. 

What is the silliest way you’ve been injured?  

Fractured my heal. In third grade I jumped off a 15-foot-tall deck onto what I thought was a fluffy pile of soft snow, turned it out it was a frozen dirt mound with a few inches of snow over the top.